Film-winder for moving-picture machines.



No.- 887,481. PATENTED MAIY'lZ, 1908.

V HQK. SANDELL. v FILM WINDER FOR MOVING PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26.1907.

-2"SBEETSSHEET 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\ HENRY K. SANDELL, OF CHICAQO, ILLINOIS, ASSI GNOR TO H. S. MILLS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FILM-WINDER FOR MOVING-PICTURE MACHINES.

No. 887,431. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12 1908.

Application fi led August 2 1907'. Serial No. 390,097.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY K. SANDEL vertical or means for these pur provement acitizen of the United States," residing at Chicago, in the count of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented a new and useful Imin Film Winders for 'Moving-' icture Machines, of which the following is a specification. 1 I 1 The film of a moving picture;machine is commonly the dis lay-opening at which the illuminated lens is irected against it; and, moreover, the film is fed by dragging or pulling upon it. Thus supporting the film is conducive to its ragid impairment, causing the inner windings to ear t e weight of the outer ones, which 111 the case of a long may be several pounds,

supported, in reel form, in a ang ng position to be fed across with theeifectof marring the contacting the section beingtaken at the line A-A on Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 is a plan view oi the same with the casing-cover removed. I

The mechanism isycarried on a suitable support, that shown bein in the nature of a bracket having aver'tica de ending arm 3 and a horizontal arm 4 provi ed on one end with an upright vertical extension 5- of U- shape. On the armg l is stationarily supported a cylindrical casing 6 provided with oses hereinafter de'" atangential ex-tension 7v and a removable cover 8. In the casing is centrally pivoted at 9, to occupy .a horizontal position, aro= tating film-carrier 10-, shown in the form of a disk havinga shallow annular flange 11' rising from its upper surface between its edge andpivotal oint, with-which it is concentric; and on the dottom ofthe carrier is formed,- as a part thereof, a grooved pulley 12 concentric with the pivot 9.

The film 13 is preparatorily Wound on. a s 001 or drum (not shown) of theexternal c lameter of the flange 11 and is transferred in that condition toseat on the carrier 10 passing .ing-wa about the flange. On the casing is hinged at one end an arm 14 to extend across the casing to one side of its center, bein'gadapted to be vreleasabl fastenedat its 0 posite end, as indicate at 15- (Fig. 2); an on the hinged arm is journaled to depend-from it at the inner periphery of the coil offilm a downwardlyeta ering guide-roller 16, extending coincident y with the top of the flange 11 ads jacent vto the inner edge thereof. The arm is raised on its hinge the film in place, after which it is lowered and fastened to bring the roller 16 into operative position. The film is confined against rising om its seat by a rod 17 extending across and bearing against the top of the coil, the rod through opposite o enin 's' in the casdinally to permit removal of the film om the casing. D r

The free outer, end of the coil of'film is passed through the casing-wall aboutan inclined guide-roller 18 having flan ed ends and journaled in the extension 7. hence it is passed about aroller 19 journaled at 20 an having circumferential series of teeth on its ends for the usualpurpose of engaging the rows of perforations-commonly provided lI1 the edge-portions ofthe film. The inner end of the film-coil crossesand is directed by the tapering surface of the guide-roller 16 about a guide-pulle 21 journaled in the bracketextension 5;

assed about a gluide-pulle 22 like and ad acent to the pn ey 19 an beyond which the film isformed into the usual feed-loop 23, whence it asses between a roller 24 and a smaller rol er 25. The roller 25 uides the film across the usual 0 ening, indicated at 26 through which the lig t (not shown) is projected into the lens-device represented at 27, being the o ening by similarparallel springarms, one 0? which is represented at 28, depending from. the roller '25, and. carrying on their lower ends a roller 29 tobe'ar against the film preparatory to adjusting l and being with awa le :lon itu-' rom this lastnamed pulley the held'against the face of 1 which passes between it and. the roller 30 -of I the movement 31, which may, sented, be the ordinarily provide star movement for feeding the film with the usual Vin the lens-device provided on the racketneed described, as they are not bemore minutel led in the art, who will familiar to those ski as repre-:

understand that the. two ends of the film, tOj

render it endless, are fastened together beyond the feed-movement 31, below whichthe film depends in the ususal lengthy loop, which cannot be shown in Fig. 1 because of the limitations of the sheet, but is intended to be indicated by the arrows connecting the two film-terminals.

To drive the carrier 10 and thereby simultaneously pay out and wind up the film without exerting pull upon it in the feeding, which is an important advantage of the invention, an endless belt 32 is provided about the pulley l2 and passes thence over guideulleys 33, 34 and 35 journaled on the bracket-arm 4 and about a pulley 36 journaled at 37 and carrying a gear 38 to mesh with a gear 39 on the shaft carrying the roller 19 and with the driving gear-Wheel 37 ournaled at 41 andhaving a crank-handle 42 provided on its shaft for driving the mechanism. While provision is thus made-for operating the device by hand, it will be actuated in some situations by a suitable powermotor to be substituted for the crank-handle.

By turning the crank the belt 32 rotates the carrier 10 causing the horizontally supported film-coil to pay out from its inner cir-.

eumference and wind upon its outer circumference, while the feeding mechanism vibratingl advances the film past the opening 26 in tlie usual way. The pulley 16, owing to its form, gently uides the film over the flange 11, thus wlthout straining it. This flange, or some other suitable reinforcing means for the coil at its center, is required to revent the strain of winding the endless film back about the exterior of the coil from displacing the latter on its carrier and, particularly, a ainst distorting it by such strain.

As will film-coil in horizontal position, thus edgewise, all weight is taken off the layers that is imposed upon them with the coil hanging in verticalosition, as heretofore, so that marring of tlih frictionally-contacting surfaces of the layers is completely avoided.

i\'loreover, in practice, the

ayers in the horizontal'coil .remain, for the most 1part, out of frictional contact, or where suc contacts exists it is extremely light.- This is due to the difference between the inner and outer diameters of the coil, since in each rotation of the carrier 10 the section of film (paid out from the internal diameter is woun upon the greater external diameter and the slight tension on the latter keeps the constantly changing inner-layer loosely about permitting the layers to spread apart, so that the rim 11 while in practiceit is found that there is never more than a very slight frictional contact between them. As in the form of construction shown the film is rewound upon the outer diameter of the coil and unwound from the mner diameter thereof, each convolution of the coil must move from the outer to the e observed, by supporting theport a coil of film in edgewise on, and means whereby said tory p ate, but in so doing it only rests with its edge against the surface of the plate, and

consequentl this movement does not impair It will also be observed the face of t e film. that all drag or pull on the film is avoided by rotating the coil through the medium ofthe carrier-pulley 12 independently of the filmfeeding action, with the advantage of enhancing the friction-avoiding action due to supporting the film-coil edgewise on the horizontally rotating carrier.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be understood that it consists, in its broadest sense, in supportin the coil of endless film-band on the edge 0 the film, about suitable reinforcing means upon a rotary carrier in contradistinction to supporting it in a manner to incur the imposition of the weight of'the coil-layers u on each other; and feeding the film from t e center of the coil and back about the exterior thereof so that while this may be done by causing the'coil to occupy a horizontal osition, as shown and described,- the term is not to be strictly interpreted, since any variation therefor-m is within the purview of the invention, provided-the film of the coil is supported on edge in a manner to avoid the'weighting. referred to of the surfaces of the layers.

. What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a moving-picture machine, the combination of a rotatory carrier adapted to support a coil of film in edgewise position there orizontal on, and means whereby successive convolu- 'tions of said coil are unwound therefrom and rewound thereon as said coil is rotated by said carrier.

' 2. In a moving-picture machine, the combination of a rotatory carrier adapted to suposition therein is continuously unwound from and wound .on said coil as it is rotated by said carrier.

3. In a moving-picture machine, the combination of a rotatory carrier adapted to support a coil of film in edgewise osition thereon, and means whereby said In is unwound from the interior of said coil and rewound upon the exterior thereof, as said coil is rotated by said carrier.

4. In a moving-picture machine, the combination of a rotatory carrier adapted to support a coil of film in edgewise osition thereon, and means whereblyl said f1 m is continuously unwound from t e interior of said coil and rewound upon the exterior of said coil,-

as the coil isrotated by the carrier.

.5. In a moving-picture machine, the combination of a rotatory carrier adapted to support a coil of film in edgewise position thereon, with the ends of the coil connected and its inner and outer convolutions extended into a loop, and means for feeding the loopportion of said film, whereby successive convolutions of said coil are unwound therefrom and rewound thereon as said coilvis rotated by said carrier. 7 p

6. In a moving-picture machine, the combination of a rotatory carrier adapted to sup port a coil of film in edgewise positionthereon, the coil having its ends connected and its inner and outer layers extended into a loop,

7 and feeding means for the loop portion of said film, whereby said film is unwound from the interior of said coil and rewound upon the exterior thereof as said coil is rotated by said carrier.

7. In a moving-picture machine, the com-' binationwith film feeding and driving mechanisms, of a-rotatory carrier for a coil of film geared to said driving mechanism, sald rotatory carrier being adapted to support a COll I of film in edgewise position thereon, means for I edgewise position thereon, and means where-' guiding the filmfrom said coil to said feeding mechanism, and means for'returning said film to said coil after it has'passed through said feeding mechanism.

, 8. In a moving picture machine, the combination with film feeding and driving mechanisms, of a rotatory, carrier for a coil-of film geared to said driving mechanism, said rotatory carrier being adapted to support a coil of film in edgewise position thereon, means for guiding the film from said coil to said feeding mechanism, means for returning said film to said coil after it has passed through said feeding mechanism, means for guiding said film from the interior of said coil to said feeding mechanism and means for returning said film to the exterior of said coil after it has passed through said feeding mechanism.

9. Ina moving-picture machine, the combination with a casing, of a rotary disk in said casing adapted to support a coil of film in by successive nonvolutions of said coil are unwound therefrom and rewound thereon as said coil is rotated bys'aid carrier.

10." In a moving-picture machine, the com- .bination with a rotatory carrier adapted to.

support a coil .of film in edgewise position thereon, of means located above the carrier and within the coil for holding the coil distended, and means whereby successive convolutions of said coil are unwound therefrom and rewound thereon asjsaid .coil is rotated by said carrier.

11. In a movmg-picture machine, the com- .bination of a rotatory carrier adapted to support a coil of film in edgewise position thereon, said carrier being provided with an annular flange about which the interior of the coil seats, and means whereby successive convolutions of said coil are unwound therefrom and rewound thereon as sald c011 1s rotated by said carrier.

- 12. In a moving-picture machine, the combination with a rotatory carrier adapted to support a coil of film in edgewise pos ii ionv thereon, of a guide located within the 0011, a

second guide located without the coil, said guides being adapted to guide the film in its movement to and from the coil, and means for feeding-said film from the coil and returning same thereto. I

13. In a'mo'ving-picture machine, the combination with a rotatory carrier adapted to support a coil of film in edgewise position thereon and having a loop extending from the boundary windings of said coil, of means for directing one of said boundary windings from the plane of said coil, and means for returning the loop-portionof the film to the plane of the coil at the other boundary thereof.

14. In a moving-picture machine, the combination with a rotatorycarrier adapted to support a coil of film in edgewise position a thereon, of a guide roller supporte out said coil, said rollers being adapted to guide the film in its movement to and from the coil, and means whereby said film is contmuously unwound from and rewound on cent to the inner upper edge of said flange,

for the purpose set forth.

16. In a filmwinder within said coil, a second guide roller supported with for moving-picture machines, the combination of a casing, a horizontal rotatory'carrier in said casing provided with an annular flange about which to seat on the carrier a film-coil in horizontal position, an arm hinged to the casing to extend across the same, and a downwardly-tapering guide-roller journaled on said arm to depend therefrom with its lower end adjacent to the inner upper edge of said flange, for the purpose set forth: I 17. In a fihn-winder for moving-picture machines, the combination of a casing, a horizontal rotatory carrier in said casing provided with an annular flange about which to seat on the carrier a film-coil in horizontal position, a downwardly-tapering guide-roller supported to extend with its lower end adjacent to the inner upper edge of said flange, and a rod extending across the casing to bear against the upper side of said coil, for the purpose set forth.

18. In a film-winder for moving-picture machines, the combination with film feeding and driving mechanisms, of a casing, a hori zontal rotatory disk in said casing provided with an annular flange about which to seat on the carrier a film-coil in horizontal pos i' tio'n, a, downwardly tapering gnide roller said disk, and an endless Belt connecting said supported to extend with its lower end adjalast-named pulley with said driving mechancent to the inner upper ed e of seid flan e, a ism, for-the purpose set forth.

film-guiding pulley ourna edin mcline 0- HENRY K. SANDELL. 5 sition at one side of the casing and a fil m In presence of guiding ulley journaled in horizontal posi- RALPH SCHAEFER,

tionat t e opposite side thereof, a pulley on K W. T. JONES. 

